Adam Ming
LightNews LightNews
banner
adamming.bsky.social
Adam Ming
@adamming.bsky.social
690 followers 890 following 250 posts
✏️Award-winning illustrator sharing daily prompts to transform your creative life. Helping artist shift from struggling to thriving.

👇Newsletter

Linktr.ee/adamming
Posts Replies Media Videos
Reposted by Adam Ming
annabrookewriter.bsky.social
Kids love naughty stuff, don't they!
Is HELP! naughty enough for 'em?
Let me and @adamming.bsky.social know!
Pre-order:
@amazonprime.bsky.social
@waterstones.bsky.social @waterstoneskids.bsky.social
@bookshop-org-uk.bsky.social
@hivestores.bsky.social

@andersenpress.bsky.social
August 21, 2025 at 8:04 AM
adamming.bsky.social
Sketch, for Help! Written by @annabrookewriter.bsky.social
August 20, 2025 at 2:25 AM
Reposted by Adam Ming
bartography.bsky.social
It’s true! I’m excited to be working with @adamming.bsky.social & Astra Young Readers for my next picture book. It’ll be my 26th book, and just when I got used to celebrating my 25th…
July 23, 2025 at 11:29 AM
Reposted by Adam Ming
annabrookewriter.bsky.social
OUT 28 AUG!!!!
Do you know a kid who likes funny?
Do you know a kid who likes gross?
Do you know a kid who'd dare to press the monster's nose & pick it?
Then HELP! is for you!
Avail online & bookshops (UK & USA)
Illos by @adamming.bsky.social
@andersenpress.bsky.social
August 18, 2025 at 1:00 PM
adamming.bsky.social
Need ideas, start looking in your sketchbook
A screenshot essay titled 'Dear Creator, capture today's fleeting ideas before they're lost forever — and turn them into the work only you can create.' The body text discusses the importance of capturing unique thoughts and feelings that arise each day, emphasizing that these configurations of ideas are fleeting gifts. The author shares their personal practice of filling a sketchbook daily, which led to discovering characters for a story a year later. The essay encourages readers to choose a method of documentation, such as a journal or sketchbook, and stresses the importance of consistency in preserving ideas that may otherwise be forgotten.
July 20, 2025 at 5:25 PM
adamming.bsky.social
I’m writing Atomic Essays for 30 Days, this one was about a painful jab when I told a friend I was starting a career as a picture-book illustrator at 40
Screenshot essay titled 'If You Keep Starting Over, You’ll Never Finish: Here’s The Daily Routine That Breaks The Cycle'. The essay discusses the author's journey towards establishing a career in illustrating picture books. It narrates a moment of reflection during a coffee meeting with a classmate who mocks the author's tendency to begin new projects. Despite the jibe, the author emphasizes the importance of consistency, highlighting their progress over the past two years, including submitting illustrations for one book and working on two others. The author concludes with a commitment to daily practice in their craft, valuing even short time spent on their work.
July 20, 2025 at 7:19 AM
adamming.bsky.social
If you write everyday.

Draw every day.

Make art everyday.

Some of it will be good.

That doesn’t mean the rest of it is wasted.
July 6, 2025 at 8:44 AM
Reposted by Adam Ming
mybookcorner.bsky.social
I'm Building a Nest: Find Out How 50 Animals Make Their Homes by Saskia Gwinn, Illustrated by Adam Ming

Review by @sareenmclay.bsky.social

@adamming.bsky.social

#saskiagwinn#quartokids
#nonfiction#childrensbooks#childrensbooksillustration#booksforkids#kidlit#booksforchildren#nature#nests#spring
Picture shows the front cover of the book I'm Building a Nest: Find Out How 50 Animals Make Their Homes by Saskia Gwinn, Illustrated by Adam Ming with a bird building a nest and other creatures looking on.
May 9, 2025 at 7:57 PM
adamming.bsky.social
There are 5 things I learned that really had a profound impact on how I illustrate, I’m sharing this in a free emails series

Www.tenminuteartist.com
July 5, 2025 at 12:41 PM
adamming.bsky.social
To get 1 step removed from the reference, I did studies in my sketchbook, then drew this from my sketchbook
A screenshot essay titled 'Morning Drawing (that I did in the afternoon)' featuring a drawing created by the author. The drawing is visually vibrant and expressive, showcasing a blend of colors and playful shapes, highlighting the artist's unique style. The text surrounding the drawing discusses the artistic process and inspiration behind the work. The essay conveys a sense of humor about the title, indicating a playful approach to time management in art creation.
June 10, 2025 at 5:27 AM
adamming.bsky.social
Do we still hate social media?
Screenshot essay titled '5 Reasons Why I Believe Social Media is Still A Useful Promotional Tool for Artists,' featuring five key points: 1. You can DM anybody - sharing how reaching out to others can help when you're stuck. 2. Your comments are actually welcome - emphasizing the importance of giving meaningful feedback and how it can lead to more engagement. 3. Your bio is your elevator pitch - highlighting the significance of a concise bio to convey who you are and what you offer. 4. Your content is your credibility - discussing how social media serves as a platform to showcase your offerings and demonstrate authenticity. 5. An 11-second reel could get thousands of views - mentioning the potential impact of engaging with reels on your visibility. The author concludes with encouragement for readers to leverage these insights to advance their goals.
June 10, 2025 at 4:22 AM
adamming.bsky.social
Other artist are not the competition
Screenshot essay titled 'Other Artists Are Not The Competition' discusses the author's initial perception of competition in a children's illustration class. The author reflects on their mindset of needing to defeat fellow artists, but realizes through experience that learning from others is more valuable than competition. The essay includes three key insights: the author initially struggled to discern quality in art, gained significant learning from peer interactions more than the course content, and offers a metaphor comparing artists on a key ring, indicating that each artist serves a unique purpose rather than competing against one another.
June 8, 2025 at 10:08 AM
adamming.bsky.social
Don't get busy, get focused.

You can build a bestselling Substack in just 20 hours per month if you eliminate everything that doesn't directly serve your core purpose and audience.
May 19, 2025 at 6:55 PM
adamming.bsky.social
Before: A stack of blank sketchbooks collecting dust.

After: A daily practice that transforms procrastination into production.

The bridge?

10 deliberate minutes that compound over time.
May 19, 2025 at 1:52 PM
adamming.bsky.social
Most of us aren't actively saying 'no' to our creative calling.

We're just finding increasingly sophisticated ways to avoid saying 'yes.'

What looks like exploring multiple paths is often fear finding new escape routes.
May 19, 2025 at 9:50 AM
adamming.bsky.social
The number, the badge, the award. Those are not the point.

The milestone isn't the point. It's just a measuring stick for your growth. Chasing numbers in creative work is about developing new skills that each new level demands from you.

The point is growth
May 19, 2025 at 5:47 AM
adamming.bsky.social
Our dreams are built with bricks called habits.

This one quiet ritual, just 10 minutes a day, helped me go from unpublished to illustrating 14 book in 3 years

Here’s what I learned from keeping a daily sketchbook:
[THREAD]
May 6, 2025 at 9:30 AM
adamming.bsky.social
You designed a great character BUT every pose feels stiff, awkward, or wrong.

You’re not bad at drawing. You’re just making one of these 10 posing mistakes (and 3 will surprise you):

[THREAD]
May 6, 2025 at 3:14 AM
adamming.bsky.social
Monday Morning, an interstitial blog. (With pictures)
May 5, 2025 at 11:00 AM
adamming.bsky.social
I’ll be leading a workshop on dynamic poses with Katie Stack, RSVP here: https://open.substack.com/pub/artgym/p/rsvp-for-artgym?r=p60pf&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false
Screenshot essay titled 'How to pose a stickman' featuring a step-by-step guide presented in a visually organized layout. The content includes illustrations demonstrating various stickman poses, along with accompanying text that provides tips and instructions for effectively representing stickman figures in different actions and scenarios. The overall tone is instructional and informative, aimed at individuals interested in drawing or animating stick figures.
May 5, 2025 at 7:15 AM
adamming.bsky.social
What’s cookin?
An essay titled 'On Crafting Icons' discussing the essence of illustration. The text emphasizes that illustration is not merely about depicting reality but rather about creating icons that symbolize ideas. It highlights how the arrangement of these icons results in a visual form of poetry, referred to as Illustration.
May 5, 2025 at 5:29 AM
adamming.bsky.social
STRUGGLING: "Gatekeepers don't recognize or validate my work."

THRIVING: "I've identified venues and platforms where my work naturally resonates, while building my own channels."
April 11, 2025 at 8:00 PM
adamming.bsky.social
STRUGGLING: "My work isn't reaching or resonating with people."

THRIVING: "I've built genuine connections with people who appreciate and support my creative vision."
April 10, 2025 at 8:00 PM
adamming.bsky.social
Difference trumps Skill
A screenshot essay titled '20/100 Being Recognizable Beats Being Perfect'. It discusses the importance of style signatures in art, stating they function as visual branding that aids in standing out creatively. The text suggests that established illustrators benefit from a recognizable style which attracts more opportunities compared to merely having technical skills. It emphasizes that these distinctive elements develop through practice and awareness of one’s tendencies. The author encourages readers to identify and emphasize three distinctive elements that consistently appear in their work, as mentioned in a prompt at the end.
April 9, 2025 at 1:00 AM
adamming.bsky.social
**Struggling:**

"I sacrifice sleep, nutrition, and exercise for my art."
**Thriving:**

"I prioritize my physical and mental wellbeing as the foundation of sustainable creativity."
April 8, 2025 at 8:00 PM